In July 2019, the BC Ministry of Health Vaccine Status Reporting Regulation (VSRR) was put into effect. The regulation requires parents/caregivers to report the vaccination status of their school-aged children to health authorities for the purpose of targeted service delivery in the event of communicable disease outbreaks and/or vaccination initiatives.
Under this regulation, schools are required to provide class lists to Northern Health for students in all grades at the start of each school year. As per our earlier notice, this step has been completed.

In  February, Northern Health (NH) will be providing the school with  sealed, confidential letters to parents/caregivers who have school-aged  children with incomplete immunization records. An email will be sent to  those who need to pick up these personalized letters. 

Please note that letters will not be  sent to parents/caregivers of students who are up-to-date with all  recommended immunizations and/or have had their immunization records  reviewed as part of the annual NH grades 6 or 9 immunization programs. 

Also, note that as per Northern Health instructions, school personnel will NOT:

• contact parents/caregivers for immunization information;
• review students’ immunization information;
• answer questions from parents/caregivers regarding the VSRR; or
• receive immunization records from students or parents/caregivers.

If you have questions about the VSRR, please visit immunizebc.ca/vaccination-statust-reporting-regulation; email Mike Gagel, NH Regional Manager of Communicable Disease (mike.gagel@northernhealth.ca); or call Dr. Jong Kim, Chief Medical Health Officer for Northern Health, at 250.261.7235.